Portret van een vrouw met halsketting, leunend op een balustrade 1855 - 1880

This is A. Georges' portrait of a woman with a necklace, leaning on a balustrade. Though the date of creation is unknown, we can place this image within a cultural and historical context by considering the sitter’s dress. The portrait presents us with the formal attire of a woman of the middle class. Her dress features a high neckline trimmed with lace, accentuated by a ribbon and a pendant. Her hair is neatly styled, and her posture is upright, suggesting a woman of propriety. This portrait provides us with a glimpse into the identity of a woman in a specific cultural moment. How might she have felt about the representation of women in art? And how did she negotiate the societal expectations of femininity in her daily life?